Rear opening sanitary and protective covering for shoes



Dec. 12,1967 H' Z.MMON 3,358,188

REAR OPENING SANITARY AND PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR SHOES 7 Filed Oct. 16, 1964 INVENTOR. HAROLD Z/MMON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,358,188 REAR ()PENING SANITARY AND PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR SHOES Harold Zimmon, Redwood City, Calif. Zimmon & Company, Inc., 215 ONeill Ave., Belmont, Calif. 94002 Filed Oct. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 404,310

5 Claims. (Cl. 317-2) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sanitary and protective covering for street shoes for use in surgeries, and the like, is formed of paper-like material in two halves, each shaped in the outline of a shoe in side elevation, and joined together along the bottom and front but open at the top and back. A tab projects rearward from the rear edges of the halves and carries ties, or the like. In use, the shoe is inserted in the covering. The rear edges of the halves are folded around the back to conform the covering to a wide range of shoe sizes. The tab is drawn up behind the back of the shoe to hold the covering in place. The ties are used to secure the tab in position.

This invention relates to a new and improved rear opening sanitary and protective covering for shoes.

Shoe coverings of the type of the present invention have particular application in sterile rooms in hospitals, commonly known as burn rooms, and satisfy needs in such establishments for covering the shoes of attendants to prevent dust on the shoes from contaminating the atmosphere in the room. The invention has further application in areas requiring patient isolation to prevent contamination of shoes and cross contamination of patients.

Shoe coverings also are used in cast rooms where plaster of Paris casts are applied and where table drippings are likely to fall upon the shoes of the doctors and attendants and permanently harm the same.

By the addition of a strip of conductive material, or by impregnating all or a part of the covering with a conductive substance, the present shoe covering may be used in hospital surgeries or in other establishments where static electricity creates a hazard. The conductive covering discharges static electricity which might tend to build up in the body of the attendant and thus prevents explosions of anesthetics and other hazardous substances.

Shoe coverings of the type of this invention may further be used in any commercial establishment such as by shoe window dressers who commonly remove their shoes in order to prevent floor dust from detracting from the appearance of the carpeting in show windows.

A particular feature and advantage of the present invention is its adaptability over a wide range of shoe sizes while still fitting snugly and neatly around the shoe. Accordingly, the inventory of coverings which must be stocked is reduced.

Heretofore, most shoe coverings have beeen of a slipper, shoe or boot shape formed with more or less conventional heels and toes. The present invention is not conventional in the formation of the heel and this simplifies the manufacture and makes the device much less expensive and more versatile in application.

A further advantage of the invention is that it is so constructed that it can be conveniently applied over street shoes with little time or effort consumed. Little or no skill or practice is required in order to enable the user to apply the device and fasten the same on the shoe.

Another feature of the invention in the low cost of fabrication. The material of which the covering is made may be cut with standard die-cutting machines or fabriccutting machines. Further, the device may be assembled with the use of standard commercial sewing machines.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of the invention wherein stitching is employed and showing the covering flat.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational applied to a shoe.

'FIG. 3 is an exploded plan view showing the parts of the covering prior to assembly.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view partly broken away in section of a modification of a portion of FIG. 1.

The present invention provides a wrapping of a sanitary or a non-contaminating nature of simple and inexpensive construction. The body of the device may be formed of a wide variety of materials. Non-woven materials such as paper or yarn-reinforced cellulose materials and non-woven fabrics are particularly suitable for the present invention by reason of their low costs. Such materials may be received from the manufacturer in webs or rolls of extended widths and lengths from which a plurality of lengths may be cut with economy of material. Cloth, such as light canvas, muslin or almost any fabric may be used. Similarly, plastic may be used, depending upon the end use of the covering.

In some forms of the invention hereinafter described in detail, it is desirable to ground the wearer to the floor and for such purpose the entire device may be formed of a conductive material, as by impregnating with conductive substance such as a suspension containing graphite. Alternatively, spots of conductive substance may be printed or otherwise applied to specific locations on the body blank, the remainder of the body being left non-conductive. Alternatively, and particularly as shown in the accompanying drawings, a conductive strip is sewn, glued, stapled, or otherwise attached to the covering and is formed of a conductive material. A preferred conductive material is a conductive polyolefin of the thickness of two or three mils, one such product being known as valostat manufactured by Custom Materials, Inc., of Chelmsford, Mass. Aluminum foil tape is also suitable for such purpose.

The invention uses two body blank members 21L, 21R, each being a flat piece of material of the type heretofore described. The two halves are similar in shape. Each has a substantially horizontal straight bottom edge 22, a front or toe edge 23 approximately perpendicular to bottom edge 22, and of relatively short length, an upwardly rearwardly slanted instep edge 24 disposed at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to the horizontal, a top edge 26 generally parallel to bottom edge 22 and spaced therefrom about 7 /2" and of the length slightly greater than one-half the length of bottom edge 22 and a vertical back edge 27. The two halves of the body 21L, 21R may be stitched together by means of thread stitching 30 which commences at a point 31 spaced inwardly from the intersection of edges 24 and 26 and thence proceeds downwardly parallel to edges 24, 23, and 22 terminating at the rearward end of the blanks. The rear edges 27 are not stitched and likewise the top edges 26 are not stitched.

A tab 36 is provided which is approximately hexagonal in shape as best shown in FIG. 3. Tab 36 is first folded along line 37 to form a trapezoid double layer piece and is then folded again along line 38, a medial line perpendicular to line 37 and coinciding with the bottom edge lines 22 of the two halves 21L, 21R. Preferably an elongated tape 39 is inserted inside told 37, tape 39 being used view showing the covering to retain the covering in place as hereinafter explained. The forward end of the tab 36 is inserted inside the open rear edges 27 with a slight overlap as is best shown in FIG. 1. Thereupon stitching 41 is applied commencing at location indicated by reference numeral 42 and continuing downwardly and inwardly parallel to edge 27 and thence along the bottom parallel to edges 22 extended to the back end of tab 36. As the stitching 41 approaches the back end of tab 36 it engages tape 39 which is inside the tab and prevents it from being pulled out.

In a preferred use of the device a tape of conductive material 42 is applied along the bottom edge of the covering and having an elongated rearwardly extending tab 43. Tape 42 is stitched by the same stitching 30 as joins the two halves together.

In the modification of FIG. 4, stitching30, etc. is eliminated and instead an adhesive 46 is applied at the seam to perform the same function, Similarly, adhesive 47 is used to hold the tape 42 in place.

Directing attention to FIG. 2, the use of the device is illustrated. The wearer inserts the toe of the shoe through the top edges 26 and back edge 27 until the toe engages the seam at the front or toe portion 23. Thereupon the tape ends 39 are grasped and pulled upwardly and forwardly and the ends of the tape, 39 are tied in a knot 48 over the instep. This draws the covering firmly and neatly around the shoe so that the shoe is completely covered and dust thereon will not contaminate the atmosphere nor will anything falling toward the floor contact the shoes. Where the conductive tape 42 is used, the tab 43 may be tucked over the top edge of the sock. In cases where socks are not worn, the tab 43 may be placed inside the shoe under the heel of the wearer where, by reason of body moisture, a grounding contact is established. In this means, the accumulation of static electricity in the body of the wearer is grounded.

It will be seen that the device may be installed in either right or left shoe and will accommodate a wide range of different shoe sizes.

What is claimed is:

1. A sanitary and protective disposable covering for a street shoe formed of foldable material comprising a right half and a left half, each shape in the outline of a shoe viewed from the side, said halves seamed together along the bottom and front and open at the top and back for insertion of said shoe, a tab projecting rearwardly beyond the rear edges of said halves from the bottom rear corners of said halves, the rear edges of said halves foldable around the back of said shoe to conform the length of said covering to said shoe, said tab being foldable up over said rear edges of said halves along the back of said shoe to hold said rear edges of said halves in place under said tab, and means attached to the remote end of said tab for securing said tab in place with said covering smoothly conforming to the shape of said shoe.

2. A covering according to claim 1 in which said tab comprises a separate piece of material adhered to said halves.

3. A covering according to claim 1 in which said halves comprise separate pieces of material meeting along a longitudinal medial plane,

4. A covering according to claim 1 in which at least a portion of said covering is electrically conductive to ground the wearer.

5. A covering according to claim 1 which further comprises a strip of conductive material extending along at least a portion of the sole and having an extended second tab protruding rearwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,714,771 8/1955 Olfene 36-9 2,803,894 8/1957 Morgan 36-9 X 3,013,184 12/1961 Adams 317-2 3,146,377 8/ 1964 Whitton 317-2 MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, Primary Examiner.

I. SILVERMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SANITARY AND PROTECTIVE DISPOSABLE COVERING FOR A STREET SHOE FORMED OF FOLDABLE MATERIAL COMPRISING A RIGHT HALF AND A LEFT HALF, EACH SHAPE IN THE OUTLINE OF A SHOE VIEWED FROM THE SIDE, SAID HALVES SEAMED TOGETHER ALONG THE BOTTOM AND FRONT AND OPEN AT THE TOP AND BACK FOR INSERTION OF SAID SHOE, A TAB PROJECTING REARWARDLY BEYOND THE REAR EDGES OF SAID HALVES FROM THE BOTTOM REAR CORNERS OF SAID HALVES, THE REAR EDGES OF SAID HALVES FOLDABLE AROUND THE BACK OF SAID SHOE TO CONFORM THE LENGTH OF SAID COVERING TO SAID SHOE, SAID TAB BEING FOLDABLE UP OVER SAID REAR EDGES OF SAID HALVES ALONG THE BACK OF SAID SHOE TO HOLD SAID REAR EDGES OF SAID HALVES IN PLACE UNDER SAID TAB, AND MEANS ATTACHED TO THE REMOTE END OF SAID TAB FOR SECURING SAID TAP IN PLACE WITH SAID COVERING SMOOTHLY CONFORMING TO THE SHAPE OF SAID SHOE. 